Today was strongman event training day - I got late to the meetup, but still did some fun stuff. Lots of goofing around, but the following stood out -

Farmer's walk about 100 feet with 240 lbs. per hand (480 lbs. total), drop the implements, turn around, grab them and head back. I felt like I was going to pass out on the last 25 feet, but everyone kept shouting for me to finish so I wrapped it up to the end point.

Attempted to lift the farmer's handles with 330 lbs. on each for a 660 lb. total, got them a few inches off the ground but couldn't lock out. Too tired from the carry beforehand. I'll need to work this hard for next year because I'll have to make at least 290 lbs. per hand for 75 feet for the competition!

Tire flips, just had fun doing a few sets of 3-4 flips with a 670 lb. tire. Nothing too big, just working on form as they were giving me pointers on how to flip it even faster.

Stones - Did a few quick single-motion lifts with the 220 lb. stone without stopping to lap and re-grip, then went straight for a new PR on the 320 lb. stone, making what looked to be impossible from how far away I was from the platform. Somehow I tossed it far enough out from my chest to get it straight on the 54" loading platform, making this 20 lbs. heavier than my previous best. Tried it a second time and just missed the load by a few inches, banging the stone off the edge of the platform, but all in all, it went up easily so I'm definitely getting stronger with these. 340, here I come!

That was about it for the day - I'll be waking up soon to get my deadlift and overhead lifts in, then next stop is squat day on Tuesday as normal. I'll post again when the next session is complete!

Started with barbell clean and push presses -
1x10 @ empty bar
1x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 185
1x7, 1x5, 1x4 @ 225
Was hoping to get 7,6,5 on my sets but I think I'm not fully recovered from yesterday's short training session plus I had a lousy night's sleep. Next time it'll happen.

Moved next to deadlifts, still working to get form back and regain confidence -
1x5 @ 225
1x3 @ 315
3x5 @ 425 - all sets done easily, still gas in the tank but was gasping for air after each set (my endurance still sucks.)

Wrapped up with seated overhead lockouts in the power rack. First sets were done with a very short ROM of about 5" -
1x5 @ 225
1x5 @ 275
1x2 @ 300 (didn't feel stable on these for some reason - had a hard time with the support)
Followed up with 2 sets done with about a 10" ROM, done from about 3" over forehead height to lockout -
1x8 @ 205
1x8 @ 225

Got kicked out at closing at the end of these sets, headed home and finished up with 3 sets of single-arm shrugs using the IM Eagle Loops and a weighted loading pin. An easy 3x10 @ 155 lbs. for each side and that was good for the day.

Squats coming again on Tuesday if I'm feeling good, Wednesday if I'm worn out still from the DLs.

Started with squats, felt good from the start:
1x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 225
1x3 @ 315
1x1 @ 405
1x1 @ 455
1x5 @ 405
1x5 @ 415
1x4 @ 425 (stopped at 4, knew I wouldn't make the 5th rep)
Working up some endurance as I'm finding the alternating my routines in 3 week cycles works well for me again - one week heavy singles or doubles, one week heavy sets of 5-8, the 3rd week speed work with 10x2 for a moderate weight. Next week is light speed work week, the following week is the goal of a 500 lb. raw squat!

Next, did some low rep benching just to do it and continue the goal of eventually hitting a meager 300 lbs. just to know that I actually did it.
1x5 @ 135
1x2 @ 225
5x2 @ 250
All sets went well, no slowdown or sticking points, feeling a bit more confident in benching even if it is only my 2nd consecutive week done all year (in addition to the 2-3 other sessions I had back in spring).

Next for legs did some GMs:
1x5 @ 225
1x10 @ 275
1x10 @ 300
1x10 @ 315
Getting better with these, hope to crack 400 for a few reps in December.

Wrapped up with a few power snatches just for fun, using the 135 with bumper plates that someone had left for 3x3 and that was it.

May finally get back to some grip work tomorrow, Thursday will be back day and maybe shoulders if I have enough time.

Met with Sensless at my normal gym today to set some good PRs, and started with squats -

1x5 @ empty bar
1x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 225
1x3 @ 315
1x2 @ 405
1x1 @ 425
1x1 @ 455
1x1 @ 500 - new PR by 15 lbs!
Egged on by Sensless, we put 545 on the bar and I gave it a go. Got a few inches up but crapped out, more from my mind failing before my body did. Felt light as hell coming out of the rack, so give me about 4-6 weeks and this one will go down too. Loaded up 525 afterward, same thing - came up about 6", stalled and quit early. Soon enough it will all come to me, aiming for 550 after the new year and 500x5 before spring.

Moved to benching next to go for the 300 mark, with success!
1x5 @ 135
1x3 @ 225
1x1 @ 255
1x1 @ 275
1x1 @ 300, slow and ugly but still done successfully, probably 10 seconds to get it all the way up
1x8 @ 225

So, I finally hit a 300 bench and made my 500 squat goal nearly 6 weeks ahead of the original schedule, putting me to aim for a 320 bench and 530 squat before January 1st. I plan to make these and keep going up in 2006!

Michael - I don't know about a 500 bench any time soon! I'm aiming to hit 350 for a single and 315x5 sometime in 2006, but honestly, I don't plan on pushing the benching as hard as other stuff. For strongman training only incline benching has much application, since the flat bench doesn't simulate any events or give added strength for much of anything. Steep inclines, however, will help with overhead pressing, so I'll definitely be working those more now that I've gone past 300 for flat.

Today was a quick session for shoulders and back!

Started with strict presses in the rack:
1x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 185
3x3 @ 200
Just wasn't feeling it at the start, and since my strict presses aren't great it wasn't destined to be a hugely eventful day for this one.

After that, just goofed a bit since I had around 10 minutes left. Did 2 sets of Hise shrugs in the rack, 1x8 @ 405 and 1x8 @ 500. After that, I went home and did one set of 20 rep single-arm shrugs with the IM Eagle Loops on a loading pin @ 150 lbs. That was it - nothing too brutal since I hope to get some event training in this Saturday, then deadlifts on Sunday!

Met with the group and started off with some deadlifts to warm up, doing double-overhand grip sets up through a triple at 405 before the grip gave out since I always use mixed-grip for pulling. Nothing too heavy, just enough to get feeling good and warmed up.

Did some flipping with the 670ish tire, probably about 20 flips total done in sets ranging from 3-6 flips each, some uphill (noticeably harder) and some downhill. Technique and speed getting better.

Wrapped up with a really quick round on the stones to a 52" platform. Did 3 loads with the 275 lb. stone to start, a really easy single with the 320 lb. stone (much easier than last time), and a slightly assisted load with the 350 lb. stone. Another session or two and the 350 will be owned, which is way ahead of what I thought since I'd originally guessed it would be a few months until I'd get that thing loaded on the platform. Two guys nudged it when I was about halfway up to loading it so that I wouldn't lose it (nobody else wanted to load it, so when they took it down, I was told I had to make sure it went back to the top again!) Gotta be able to get 380+ for next summer, and I think with more squats, deadlifts and practice on stones it will happen for sure.

Kind of a goof-off day today, but a PR for overhead pressing came out of it.

Started with some DL lockouts from an inche above the knee. Bar had next to no knurling and my hands were sweating from the get-go, so it wasn't a great time. Just a few quick sets:
1x10 @ 315
1x5 @ 405
1x5 @ 495
1x5 @ 585
1x3 @ 675, bar was starting to slip so I ended up there.

Decided to try for a push press PR since I haven't done one in a long time. Got in the rack and had a go at it:
1x5 @ 135
1x1 @ 225
1x1 @ 245
1x1 @ 265
1x1 @ 280 for a 5 lb. PR. Seemed to be easier than expected
1xfailure at 290, crapped out at top of head height. Another few weeks and I'll give the 290 a go again, hoping for 300 by year's end.

Did one single with a strict press at 225 that went up pretty well, failed at 230.

5 minutes to go, hit up some weird cable overhead press machine since I could keep my hands inward to simulate log positioning. 3 quick sets of 8 with 100, 120 and 140, all of which felt much more like 30-40 lbs. lighter than the listed poundages compared to DB work.

Went home, still felt refreshed, did some grip work that I've been sorely neglecting. Worked some plate pinches up to a few 3-5 second holds with 35 lb. plates, pulled the 42.5 lb. blob a few times, got pissed off at missing 170 lbs. on the Rolling Thunder handle and that was about it. Gotta get back to tossing in grip stuff 1-2x per week to get on track again.

Hopefully some event training this weekend, otherwise it'll be deadlifts and whatever else sounds good at the time.

Got to train at a new place today - the guy's family owns a metal fabricating facility and the boiler room has been turned into a strongman's paradise! Just about anything someone could need for event training was there, so we did as much as our bodies would allow.

Started out warming up with some power snatches and clean & presses with 135 to loosen up. 3 quick sets to get started, then it was on!

Opened the heavy stuff up with yoke walks outdoors - apparently the one we used swings REALLY badly, making it a lot harder to manage easier weights, so hopefully when I can use a good yoke again I'll be much better for it. 3 walks of about 80-100 feet with 420 lbs. to start, then I went heavier but didn't fare so well, only making around 10-20 feet total with 620 lbs. Once I get to where I can keep it more stable I should be able to make the full distance with the weight easily enough.

Did 2 quick sets of farmer's walks with 210 lbs. per hand for 80 feet - just felt like going light on these.

Went back inside and played with the stones a bit. Just going lighter on them for a higher platform, made 2 loads with the 250 lb. stone to 63", much higher than I've had to load one before. First time was pretty ugly and struggled, second load was fast and smooth. Did 3 or 4 loads for speed to the 53" platform as well, but nothing much more than that. No heavy stones today, maybe next week.

Next, did 18" deadlifts off a special device attached to the largest power rack I've ever seen, working up to 540 lbs. for a good single. Did a seriously ugly 585 lbs. that took forever to lock out on my 3rd try, so this again is proof I need to start deadlifting a lot more. Come next summer I have to be hitting 750 or more to be remotely competitive with it, so I definitely need to train this regularly.

Finally, took the dragging sled outside in the parking lot again and did backward walking pulls until I almost threw up. The weight wasn't super-heavy, but pulling 330 lbs. around for sets of 50-100 feet will make you feel like you're going to die. If you ever want to make your legs feel solid like tree trunks, get a sled and drag that thing around because my thighs were so pumped I couldn't squat down to sit when resting.

Sensless and I went to meet up with Pete, the guy who has the excellent strongman equipment and other stuff, to train at his place. Unfortunately, he wasn't there as we'd expected, so we hit my usual gym up about an hour later after waiting around a bit.

Started with squats -
1x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 225
1x3 @ 315
1x2 @ 405
1x3 @ 455
1x2 @ 475 - attempted 3 reps, nearly died on the 2nd one
Crapped out a bit early here, so we moved next to 1/2 squats

1x5 @ 405
1x3 @ 495
1xfailure at 585 - too burned out from the full squats still

Sensless asked if I could power snatch the 185 that was set on the lifting platform, so I did a few pulls first and snatched it with relative ease.

Ryan, the wider stance and lower bar position you recommended in my journal, for squating, was very helpful. While my form still needs work, it was much improved thanks to your advice .

One question, do you have a suggestion for keeping the bar held in place across the rear deltoids. I notice it was harder to keep the bar from slipping in this lower position. It also put a little more strain on my wrist, but maybe I’m not holding the bar quite right .

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